


Hymn for the Missing

by leaderdino



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: A/B/O verse, Amnesia, Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, Smut, Wolf!AU, angsty woogyu, but hey yadong is fluff, i think at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-19 07:03:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9424529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leaderdino/pseuds/leaderdino
Summary: Sunggyu had already experienced the deepest pit of hell. With a broken bond and emptiness in his heart, the only thing he had was hope – the hope of his mate still being alive and returning to him one day.Inspired by Red - Hymn for the missing(crossposted)





	1. Chapter 1

_He felt the IV needles being torn out of his flesh as the room lit up around him. His mind was dizzy, his vision was blurry, his ears were ringing, he didn’t understand what was going on around him. He tried to look around but even the slightest movement made him scream in pain and all he could see was a dark silhouette hovering above him. His body was shaken violently, making him more aware of his situation. There were no cuffs on his ankles and wrists anymore, there were no chains around his neck and waist and no needles in his arms. He was free to move his body after such a long time, yet he couldn’t. The silhouette above him started to get clearer, but he still couldn’t make out the face completely. The other was shouting at him, shouting something that he failed to hear due to the ringing in his ears. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the other’s mouth to read the words but everything was still blurry in front of him. Hopelessly, he closed his eyes, not wanting anything but to go back to his slumber and never wake up. But there was the shaking again and a warm hand appeared on his cheek._

_His eyes snapped open, his vision getting crystal clear as he stared at the person in front of him. His first thoughts were to jump on him, hug him, kiss him until they run out of air, but the other’s pale face with unshed tears in his eyes reminded him where they were._

_“Run!” he shouted and pushed him off table immediately._

_His legs were weak, he could barely stand but he didn’t have time to think. He still couldn’t completely understand what was going on around him, but all he cared about now was the other’s strong grip on his wrist. He was pulled through the long, dark hallways but he had no idea where they were heading. The walls around him were foreign but somewhat familiar and he was sure he had seen the large glass windows somewhere before. There was the ringing in his ears again, this time much louder than before and he knew immediately that it was not his brain’s trick anymore._

_The grip on his wrist disappeared for a brief moment, making him gasp in panic, but he felt the strong arms around his waist instantly and he was led through a thick metal door._

_It was bright outside, maybe a bit too bright for his tired eyes. He wanted to stop for a moment to let his eyes adjust and he wanted to enjoy this moment for a bit because, after such a long time, he could finally see the sun with his own eyes, he could finally return to the nature. He didn’t get why the other wasn’t amused by the beautiful weather, why he didn’t stop to stare at the clear blue sky with him, why he started to run the moment they stepped outside._

_He didn’t want to move first, but the other pushed him so hard that his legs moved on their own and before he could realize it, they were running through the trees with full speed._ Shift _. That was the first thing that came into his mind. He hated running in his human form, it was much slower and tiring for his weak human body. However, in his wolf form, running was something that filled him with energy, it made him feel free and unstoppable._

_Another push stopped him from shifting and he glanced back confusedly. The other was not looking at him, his gaze was fixed behind their backs as he gave another push and fastened his steps. That was when the ringing in his ears stopped and realization hit him hard._

_He heard steps. At least ten other people were running after them. They were chased._

_They broke out of their prison._

_He didn’t think anymore, he didn’t need to. Escaping from the hell was all that mattered now. He started to run faster, heading towards the deep woods where the humans wouldn’t be able to locate them easily.  He knew there was a lake nearby, he could hear it, but he was not sure if they should run towards it. Water was good, it hid their scents and suppressed the sound of their steps but it could also slow them enough for the humans to see and maybe shoot them. He scanned the area quickly, looking for a hidden cave or anything that can hide them, but he saw nothing. He knew that they couldn’t run from the humans forever, not in their weakened state._

_He felt the other’s hand on his own and he was pulled to the left, towards the river that he unconsciously decided to avoid._

_“Hide” the other whispered hurriedly and pushed him to a rotten tree by the lake. It was perfect for hiding, half of the tree was in the water and could hide their scent well and the trunk had a hole large enough to fit a person. But only one._

_He didn’t want to hide, not without the other staying beside him. They promised to never leave each other and he wouldn’t break his promise in a situation like this. They were in it together and they would stay together until the very end, no matter how dangerous the situation was. If the other wanted to continue running, he would run with him and wouldn’t hide like a coward._

_“I said, hide!” the other’s eyes were glowing in red as he pushed him inside the hole. He wanted to climb out but the other held him down and made him freeze when he placed a small kiss on his forehead “Please stay”_

_He only saw the other’s painfully said eyes for a brief moment before he was left completely alone. He pulled his knees close to his chest and leaned onto his legs. He tried to slow his racing heart down, tried to be as still as possible and stay unnoticed. He listened carefully, hearing the other’s steps slowly fading away, as the new ones replaced it. The humans were getting closer to his hideout and he was aware of the fact that even the smallest movement can reveal him. He started to tremble in fear, barely managing to keep himself together. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead, his eyes got wide and it didn’t go away even after the humans passed him. Instead, it got stronger by each second and as he slowly realized what was happening to him, thick tears were already running down his cheeks._

_He couldn’t feel him. He couldn’t feel his mate anymore._

_He tried to shout for him in his mind, he tried to reach him through their connection, but there was nothing. He grabbed his own hair, trying to keep his sobs back. The feeling was not unfamiliar to him, that was what he had felt constantly in the last few months, but being close to him, being able to touch him again made him forget what had happened to them. He hoped that their bond would recover when they meet again, he hoped that a simple touch would be enough to give them back what they had lost, but the damage was irreversible. He couldn’t locate his mate, he couldn’t feel his heartbeat, he didn’t know if he was alive or not._

_And then, he couldn’t hear anything but the sound of a gunshot and his own scream._

 

He sat up, still screaming, his cheeks wet from the tears. His whole body was shaking, he felt like he was still back, hiding in the hole and experiencing the hell again.

He felt a small movement behind him and his arms circled around his own body automatically. He pulled his legs under himself to hide them for the curious eyes and waited for the other’s next movement. He was not sure who was standing beside him, he was too messed up right now to be able to sense it.

“Sunggyu?”

He lifted his head, only to meet Myungsoo’s concerned face. He saw the unasked question in the younger’s eyes, and he shook his head violently. No, he was not alright. He never was.

“It’s okay, it was just a nightmare” Myungsoo whispered with a gently smile on his face and held his hand in front of Sunggyu to help him stand up.

Sunggyu grabbed his hand and let the younger to pull him up. He hated being so weak in front of the others, especially in front of Myungsoo, who had suffered just as much as him, but sometimes he just couldn’t help it. There were days when the memories hit him stronger and didn’t let him move on, or when his mate’s face suddenly appeared in his mind and he broke down. At times like these, he wanted to be alone, away from everyone so no one would see how weak their leader really was.

“Let’s go back, it’s getting late”

Myungsoo grabbed Sunggyu’s hand and the older let himself being dragged back to their home. He knew that Myungsoo was only there to bring him back before it gets completely dark. It was not like he would get lost in the dark, he was a wolf after all, but Myungsoo liked to make sure everyone in their little family was safe and sound. He was the only alpha in their pack and he felt like it was his responsibility to protect everyone.

“Are you hungry? Sungyeol just got back from hunting. He caught a pretty big stag, we won’t have to hunt again in the next few days”

Sunggyu didn’t reply and kept staring at the other’s back. Sometimes he wondered why he was the leader of the pack instead of Myungsoo, after all, he was just an ordinary omega. He offered Myungsoo at least hundred times to take over the pack, but Myungsoo always refused to accept it, saying that he would forever stay loyal to their original head-alpha, and since Sunggyu was his mate, he would stay loyal to Sunggyu too. He had no problem with following the omega’s orders, he trusted him and knew that the pack was fine in Sunggyu’s hands. And for an omega, Sunggyu was pretty strong.

“Are you thinking nonsenses again?” Myungsoo asked, giving him a confused look “You do it a lot these days”

Myungsoo’s grip got stronger, making Sunggyu let out a small whimper. It didn’t hurt, but he could definitely feel the dominance in Myungsoo’s grasp. He knew how the other hated when he was overthinking things, but he also knew that lying was pointless. Myungsoo would feel it anyway.

“What if someday I forget his face? What if I won’t remember him anymore?”

Myungsoo stopped for a moment and gave him a sad smile.

“It’s impossible. You can’t forget your mate. You may fall in love again, fall for somebody else, but you will never forget him. Neither of us will”

It had been six years. Six years since Sunggyu and Myungsoo had lost everything. It had all started with a sudden fire at the eastern border of their old territory. Their previous head-alpha, the father of their current one, had decided to make the pack leave their home and move to the west for safety reasons. He had been afraid that during the dry season, the trees would catch on fire again and threaten the pack members’ lives. They had thought they were safe, but the worst had just come after that. During a stormy night, when the rain made it harder for them to hear the enemy approach, a group of hunters had attacked their pack. They had lost a lot of lives at that night: almost the whole pack died, including their head-alpha and his mate. The humans had captured those who had stayed alive and brought them back to their camp to experiment on them. That was what had happened to Sunggyu and his mate too. The humans had found them fascinating, it had amazed them how they could control their shifting, how their eyes had glowed in anger every time the other got hurt, how they had always healed no matter what injuries they had gotten. But their favorite from all had been that they had captured a young head-alpha and his mate who had shared a theoretically unbreakable bond. They had always experimented on it, always tried to figure out if they could somehow break their connection. Sunggyu had always wanted to laugh at them, their bond had been the only thing the humans could never destroy. But one day, they had somehow succeeded.

He still couldn’t understand how did it happen, how _could_ it happen without at least one of them dying. But it had happened, and Sunggyu felt like a part of him had been torn out of his body. Since that day, no matter what he did, the emptiness from his heart never disappeared. Even when he had had a chance to be near his mate, he felt nothing, like the person he had loved the most had been a stranger. It had made him slowly lose his mind, forcing the scientists to tie him down to a metal table. He had barely remembered anything from that time, even the memory of their escape, the last memory about his mate was blurry in front him. The first thing he remembered clearly was lying in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar house, with Myungsoo’s arm wrapped around him.

Myungsoo had been the one who kept him alive. Without his mate, he hadn’t wanted to live anymore, but Myungsoo had given him hope. After the attack, he had thought that Myungsoo had died too. Sometimes he could still remember the other’s lifeless body lying in the mud as one of the humans had kicked him aside to check whether he had died or not. But Myungsoo was alive, he had been saved by another pack, more precisely, by his mate. The packed had heard about the attack and they had gone to search for survivals and that had been when his mate had spotted Myungsoo who had already been at the edge of dying. But they had saved him and since then, Myungsoo did everything to make his beautiful beta, Sungyeol happy.

After Sunggyu had healed and gained his strength back, he had decided to leave the pack that had saved him and live on his own. Of course, Myungsoo had been determined to follow him, saying that he had promised Sunggyu’s mate that if anything happens with him, Myungsoo would be there to protect him. Sungyeol had left his previous pack too, not willing to be separated from his mate. He had stuck to Myungsoo’s side like a good boyfriend and never once questioned him. Sungjong, Sungyeol’s little brother had also joined them, he had wanted some adventure in his boring life. They had created a small, new pack, but instead of Myungsoo, Sunggyu had become their leader. Even without ever meeting him, both Sungyeol and Sungjong had accepted Sunggyu’s mate as their head-alpha and vowed loyalty to Sunggyu. They had loved Sunggyu and if Myungsoo, a strong alpha had been willing to bow to an omega like him, they had also done it without a single thought.

At the beginning, it had not been easy for them to survive. Their pack had been too small and weak in the other packs’ eyes: only one alpha, a beta and two omegas. Not to mention, the news about a pack that was led by an omega spread fast. They had been attacked countless of times, but they had always managed to win somehow. Maybe Sunggyu was only an omega, but he had been trained well to protect himself and others if needed. He had impressed thousands of alphas with his skills and his story. Other packs had started to respect them slowly and no one wanted to disturb them anymore. It was rare that a wolf had managed to escape from the humans, let alone an omega, and it made other alphas acknowledge Sunggyu as an equal opponent.

Soon after they had settled permanently, their pack had gotten another member. It had gotten all of them off guard when one evening, Myungsoo had returned with the bleeding omega, Dongwoo by his side. Apparently, the omega had been caught by one of the traps that the humans hid within the woods, and it had been Myungsoo who had found him. He hadn’t had a pack who might be looking after him, so after his wounds had been treated, they had offered him a place in the pack.

That was their little pack: an alpha, a beta and three omegas. Even though Sunggyu missed his mate more than anything, he was still happy with their little family. He was thankful that he had them.

“They are back!” Sungjong’s voice echoed in the darkness and a few moments later, Sunggyu could see the youngest waving them happily from the clearing “Thought the two of you might want to sleep outside, you are late”

Myungsoo turned back, only to flash a bright smile to Sunggyu, then let go of his hand and stepped beside Sungjong to ruffle his hair.

“Did we make you worried?”

“Never” Sungjong rolled his eyes and pushed Myungsoo away playfully “Just my brother is annoying when he’s hungry”

Sunggyu let out a small chuckle at that, imagining Sungyeol whining continuously and harassing his little brother. It was not a rare sight, it happened a lot when Myungsoo was away. Sungyeol was extremely moody without his mate being close to him and he always needed somebody who he could annoy until he got what he wanted or until Myungsoo returned. This person was usually Sungjong, since Sungyeol didn’t want to whine to Sunggyu and he hated when Dongwoo found his suffering cute.

Not wanting to make the others wait more, Sunggyu stepped to the clearing, his eyes already spotting the small fireplace and the huge stag lying beside it. Sungyeol was lying on the ground while Dongwoo was sitting on one of the trunks, picking the fire with a bored expression. He whispered something that Sunggyu couldn’t make out, but he saw the huge grin on the younger’s face when Sungyeol snapped beside him.

Myungsoo and Sungjong ran past him, surprising the other two. Sungjong jumped beside Dongwoo, almost knocking him off the truck, while Myungsoo lay on the top of Sungyeol, making the beta groan in pain. Sunggyu stopped a bit far from them, taking in the sight in front of him. It filled his chest with a familiar warmness that he rarely felt in the last few days due to his slight depression. No matter what had happened to him, to them in the past, they were together now. They were like a little family, and this little family could always make Sunggyu smile. Even during his worst days, watching the others play around gave him strength and they made him believe that they had left the dark times behind.

He didn’t know if his mate was alive, if he will ever see him again or if he will ever fall for someone else, but he hoped their family will be complete one day.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Dodge!” Myungsoo’s voice echoed between the trees and the next moment, the body of a small wolf crashed to the ground.

Myungsoo groaned in frustration as he made his way towards the wolf, cursing under his breath. He had spent the whole day with training the others, but at times like this, he felt like his hard work had gone to waste. It was not like the others were bad at fighting, but they were clearly not good enough. 

He watched as the wolf rolled on its back uncomfortably and held one of his legs up. The other wolf, a larger one, was above him in instant, nosing him carefully. The larger wolf looked at Myungsoo rather guilty and it only made him roll his eyes more.

“What the hell were you doing? I told you to dodge!” he half shouted, ruffling his hair in annoyance.

The larger wolf stepped aside and the smaller one moved a bit, trying not to use its injured leg, then shifted into his human form, displaying his naked glory to Myungsoo. He was holding onto one of his arms and he was sending a death glare to Myungsoo.

“I’m an omega if you forgot, I don’t have the reflexes of an alpha” he hissed then looked at the wolf beside him “or a beta”

The wolf hung his head down, then shifted into his human form too. He kneeled beside Dongwoo and took his arm into his hands, carefully examining the injury.

“I thought you will jump away” Sungyeol mumbled, making Myungsoo snort.

“Yeah, I told him to dodge”

“Shut up, Myungsoo” Dongwoo groaned in frustration. He tried to stand up on his own but the pain stung into his ankle the moment it touched the ground, making him collapse. He hissed and ran his uninjured fingers along his ankle. He frowned when the pain hit him by a single touch and he was about to scold Myungsoo for the harsh training when Sunggyu appeared beside him.

“Both of you should shut up, you are annoying” Sunggyu said flatly and placed a heavy blanket over Dongwoo’s shoulder “You okay?”

“My arm got bruised, my shoulder is dislocated and I think I twisted my ankle”

“Stop whining”

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?” Sunggyu snapped at Myungsoo, then bent down to take a look at Dongwoo’s injuries. He was not the best healer, in fact, he was horrible, but he knew that Dongwoo was hurt enough that he wouldn’t be able to treat his own injuries without help.

Sungjong popped up behind Sunggyu, holding Sungyeol’s clothes in his hands. He handed the jeans to the beta, who had accepted it gratefully, then looked around with a frown on his face.

“I think you should go after your boyfriend” he said calmly, looking towards to trees.

Sungyeol groaned loudly when he noticed that Myungsoo was gone and quickly ran after him with his clothes still in his hands.  Sunggyu only shook his head, he didn’t expect Myungsoo to make a scene over something like that, but he knew he would be fine with Sungyeol around him. They were not kids anymore, so he was sure that he had had a good reason to act like that. Whatever it was, Sunggyu knew that Sungyeol would calm him down and that he should focus on treating Dongwoo’s injuries first.

“Come, we should fix your shoulder”

Dongwoo nodded and tried to stand up again, only to fell back to his knees again. Both Sunggyu and Sungjong were on his side immediately, helping him getting up without a word. They brought him back to Dongwoo’s hut, where all their medical equipment was. They made Dongwoo sit on the table, while they searched for the bandages and the ointment that Dongwoo had requested.

At times like this, Sunggyu really hated that he had never learnt anything about healing. He could do minor things, the ones that everyone could, but he didn’t know how to fix a dislocated shoulder or what herbs he should use to treat different kind of wounds. If something ever happened to Dongwoo, there would be no one who could help him. That’s why Sunggyu always made sure to pay attention to Dongwoo’s every word when he was giving advices or when they were in the forest, collecting herbs and roots for ointments and do everything just as he was told to.

“Why don’t you tell Myungsoo to take the trainings a bit less seriously?” Dongwoo asked suddenly, breaking the momentary silence around them.

Sunggyu stopped for a moment and looked at him like he was completely insane, but he understood what the younger had meant. Omegas were not born for fighting, yet Myungsoo had treated all of them like they were on the same levels with alphas. He sometimes forgot that the body of an omega was much weaker and their reflexes were not as sharp. Sunggyu knew that Myungsoo’s intentions were good, that he did it to made the pack stronger, but he understood why Dongwoo was getting tired of Myungsoo’s trainings. Getting several broken bones two or three times a week was no fun, especially if someone didn’t have to healing power of an alpha.

“He wants the best for us” Sunggyu whispered in Myungsoo’s defense as he continued wrapping the bandage around Dongwoo’s arm “He can’t protect us all the time, he wants us to learn how to defend ourselves”

“I know but” Dongwoo hissed as Sungjong spread the ointment over his ankle, then motioned around the room “Isn’t he going a bit too far?”

Sunggyu didn’t have to look to know what Dongwoo was referring to. He himself had a thick bandage around his neck and several bruises all over his back. Sungjong was not better either. Under his shirt, his whole torso was bandaged due to his broken ribs and his broken arm had just started to heal. They looked like they had been attacked by an enemy pack, not like people who were having a casual training to get stronger.

“Maybe. Maybe he does” Sunggyu sighed “But I told you before, he does everything exactly the same way as we were taught when we were kids”

“You were trained like this?” Dongwoo asked with a slight shock in his voice and even Sungjong looked up curiously.

Sunggyu smiled sadly as he recalled their childhood. He had always sat at the side of the training circle while his best friends had been fighting, watching them with both worry and amazement. They had always been aggressive with each other, something that Sunggyu had hated, but he had always been fascinated by their quick movements. He had wanted to try it once, to train like them and he pushed his best friends until they had agreed. It hadn’t ended well, and that had been the moment when Sunggyu had understood the difference between an omega and a beta or an alpha.

“No. It was obvious that I’m an omega, thus I didn’t need such a harsh training. But we were not sure about Myungsoo, everybody thought he will be an omega too, but our head-alpha saw the potential in him. So he was trained as an alpha”

Dongwoo nodded weakly then looked down to examine his now bandaged ankle. Sungjong shot him a smile as he stood up to put the ointment away.

“You will be fine by tomorrow. Your ankle already looks better”

“Thanks” Dongwoo grinned and climbed off the table then looked at Sunggyu “Go after that idiot. Tell him I said sorry”

Sunggyu nodded and patted Sungjong’s head as he left the hut. He didn’t think too much about where he should start looking for Myungsoo, he had a pretty strong intuition about where the other had gone. Just like him, Myungsoo was predictable when it came to his mood-swings.

It was already dark, but Sunggyu knew the way to the lake by heart. Myungsoo and he had always come here if they needed some alone time. It wasn’t a secret hiding place or anything, it just simply calmed them. It reminded them of their childhood, when all of them had played in a large lake in the middle of their territory. Now it was only small, friendly lake at the western border of their territory but both of them loved it. Especially the breathtaking scenery during the night.

Just as Sunggyu had thought, Myungsoo was sitting by the lake, resting his back at a large oak tree. Sungyeol was lying beside him with his head in Myungsoo’s lap, resting peacefully. Sunggyu smiled sadly at them, he had already seen this too many times. Every time Myungsoo had a breakdown, he would come here, Sungyeol would run after him, comfort him, then they would rest with one of them half laying in the other’s lap.

With a small smile on his face, Sunggyu approached them but didn’t say anything. He sat at the other side of Myungsoo and fixed his eyes on the lake, just like the younger did. They just sat in a comfortable silence for long minutes, none of them really wanting to talk. Sunggyu didn’t want to push Myungsoo, he knew the other would talk on his own when he was ready. And with a tired sigh, he did.

“I wish he was here, you know. He should be the alpha we follow, the alpha who teaches everyone how to fight, the one who protects the pack” he whispered in a low tone, not even looking at Sunggyu.

“You should take over the pack” Sunggyu replied tiredly, patting Myungsoo’s thigh “Be our alpha and lead us. It should happen sooner or later and you know that. We don’t even know if-“

“No, I’m not strong enough to lead the pack. Look at me Sunggyu, I’m not him. Maybe I would have the power, but I lack mentally. God, I just snapped at Dongwoo for getting a hit by Sungyeol” he let out a broken laugh, then looked down at his sleeping boyfriend with an empty smile “And Sungyeol is not you. The pack would fall apart under our hands”

Myungsoo stroked Sungyeol’s hair gently and Sunggyu had to look away to prevent himself from crying. Just like Myungsoo, he had wished his mate was there with them and he could lie in his lap, just as Sungyeol did. He bit his bottom lip hard, trying to focus on something else, but he felt Myungsoo grabbing his hand, making him turn back to him.

“And I’m not breaking my promise. I never will”

The first tear slid down on Sunggyu’s cheek and he couldn’t hide his feelings anymore. He had always loved Myungsoo as his own brother and he had already owed him so much, yet he felt like it was still not enough. Myungsoo was always by his side, never even once doubting him or giving up on him, always supporting him without hesitation. His mate had never had the chance to become a head-alpha, yet Myungsoo thought about him as one and he accepted Sunggyu as the head-omega. His loyalty was something special that only a very few people had and it made Sunggyu admire him.

“Thank you, Myungsoo” he sniffed, trying to wipe his tears away.

Myungsoo gave him a broken smile, then pulled Sunggyu’s head gently to rest on his shoulder.

“Rest, you fought well today. He would be proud of you”

Sunggyu shifted a bit so he could look at Myungsoo’s face “Do you think?”

The alpha nodded and smirked “That bastard better be alive to see what a beautiful, strong omega you have become”

Sunggyu chuckled slightly at that, but remained silent. He wished he could show his mate all the things he had learnt, all the things he had reached in life so far. He wanted to introduce everyone to him, wanted him to know those people who had become his family. He wished he was still in his life and praised him like he had always done. He wanted to hear him say that he did well, that he was proud of him and who he had become.

“He would be proud of you too”

It was true and he hoped Myungsoo knew it. His mate was the only person besides their head-alpha who had always believed in Myungsoo’s power and had always treated him as an equal opponent. He had always said that the day he becomes the head-alpha, he needs Myungsoo to be by his side and be his right-hand man. Even when Myungsoo had lost faith in himself, he had been there to help and encourage him. His mate would be proud if he could see how strong Myungsoo had become and how he protected Sunggyu in every situation.

He hoped they didn’t want to wait too long for this to happen.

 “I know he is alive, Myungsoo. I can’t feel him anymore, our bond has disappeared, but, but I know it. He has to be alive”

Sunggyu knew it was foolish to believe that his mate was not dead, yet, most of the days, he tried to stay positive and didn’t give up his hope. He needed to believe that his mate was fine, searching for him and finding him soon. Without that, he wouldn’t be able to function, wouldn’t be able to live any longer. He needed to believe that they were still staring at the same sky.

 

 

 

“Nam Woohyun, I swear to God, I’m killing you this instant if you don’t stop right now”

Woohyun stopped at the top of the hill, grinning happily at the other. He had far more energy for someone who hadn’t slept, eaten or drunk in the last three days, and Hoya hated him for it. His throat felt like a desert and he could only blame Woohyun for it.

“We are close, Hoya, I can feel it” he said excitedly and looked around the woods.

“You said it like twenty times already, I’m done following you” Hoya groaned as he caught up to Woohyun. He was starting to lose hope that the other knew where they were heading and he started to be mad at himself for letting Woohyun lead the way “God, why did I come with you”

Woohyun acted like he didn’t hear Hoya’s words and flashed him a bright smile. Hoya knew perfectly what it meant and he was ready to grab Woohyun’s arm, but the other was too fast and started to run again before Hoya could catch him. Sometimes Hoya really wished he stayed at his pack instead of deciding to come with Woohyun.

They met almost two years ago. Hoya had never thought that sneaking into the humans’ base would change his life so much. It had only been an experimental trip since his head-alpha had been curious about the humans’ activities and Hoya, being the adventurous type, quickly volunteered for the task. He had never expected to find a wolf, not to mention an alpha, tied down to a metal table, barely breathing, fighting for his life. Everyone in his pack had agreed that no wolf should suffer like that and his head-alpha had ordered to free the wolf no matter what. Hoya would never be able to forget Woohyun’s eyes when he had first regained consciousness, those empty, hollow eyes still haunted him in his dreams from time to time. He had been weak for months, making some wolves question if he had really been an alpha. However, as his wounds healed, his energy had come back as well and slowly, no one doubted that he was one of the more powerful wolves in the pack.

But Woohyun had never been happy. Even when he had joked and laughed along with the others, there had been something distant in his eyes, something broken in his voice. Therefore, he hadn’t been surprised when one day, Woohyun had showed up in front of him and had told him that he had wanted to leave the pack. Hoya had understood him and going against his head-alpha’s wish, he had decided to leave the pack with Woohyun. He had wanted to see the world, explore the whole forest, find his mate, settle down and also, he hadn’t wanted to leave Woohyun alone.

Hoya had counted it, it had been eight month since they had left the pack and he was starting to feel restless. He knew what he wanted, what he was looking for, but he wasn’t sure if Woohyun did. All Woohyun did was running around the forest and all he did say was that he was looking for something important, but he had never said what it really was. He always tried to pretend that he was happy, he had tried to look joyful, but he couldn’t fool Hoya. Even if Woohyun hadn’t said it, Hoya knew it was only an act.

“Look!” Woohyun shouted excitedly, distracting Hoya from his thoughts “I found it!”

He followed Woohyun’s voice curiously and a few moments later, he spotted a small lake between the trees. He could barely believe his eyes that Woohyun had really found water at this part of the forest. He rushed past Woohyun, reaching the lake even before the other did. He kneeled at the shore and almost pushed his head into to water. It made Woohyun laugh behind him, but he didn’t care, he just wanted to finally quench his thirst.

“We should settle here for a few days” Hoya suggested after drinking a good amount of water, looking around the empty area behind them.

Woohyun couldn’t agree more. He was staring at the sky with a soft smile on his face and he felt a sudden calmness taking over his body.

 “I like it. The stars are pretty from here”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

It was one of his worst days. Lately, he had it more often than before, sometimes he felt like he had just lost his mate. He felt the emptiness in his chest, the pain pulsing in his blood and he felt the energy leaving his body. He was weak both mentally and physically on days like this and he was never seeking for the others’ company. Loneliness was the best for him, but at the same time, it was the worst too. If he was alone, no one could remind him of his loss, but he still could drown into his endless misery.

The raindrops hit the small window and Sunggyu hugged himself as he tried to look through the blurry wall that the rain created in front of him. He wanted to examine the woods, to let the nature surround him and calm his wolf, but even in his most desperate state, he knew it was dangerous to go out in a weather like that. All he could do was stare at the abandoned trees at the other end of the clearing and wait for the rain to stop so he could wander around the era.

He had always loved the rainy weather. Not because he liked the sound of raindrops hitting the ground, the fresh smell afterwards or the way his fur got all wet. No, he hated it all. The small thuds on the ground annoyed him thanks to his sharp senses, the fresh and clear smell made it impossible to hunt and his fur took hours to dry completely. The thing that still made him love it was that it reminded him of his mate. His mate had adored the rain, he had always sneaked out to play even in the most awful weather when they were kids. He had never cared about the danger or the cold he had gotten afterwards. Sometimes he had looked like a totally different person when he was out in the rain. Sunggyu’s dad had always explained it with it being the other’s wolf that had enjoyed running in the rain and roll in the mud, but Sunggyu had known that it was not the complete truth. His mate had always had a full control over his wolf instincts. It was more like he had let himself relax in the rain, let himself forget that he had been supposed to take over the pack. Sunggyu had been by his side most of the time, not caring about whether he hated the rain or not. As long as his mate had had a carefree smile on his face, he hadn’t complained.

Storms had always been special. Sunggyu had never been afraid of thunderstorms, yet when lightning lit up the dark sky and thunder shook the ground, he had always sat on his bed with his mate’s arm around his shoulders. Even if they hadn’t been sure that they were mates at that time, their bond had already made them protect each other.

The bond that they no longer had.

Sunggyu let out a tired sight and tilted his head back, trying to force back the upcoming tears. He was tired of crying. He knew his mate wouldn’t want to see him like this, but he was not strong enough to fight. He was nothing but a weak omega without an alpha by his side. Back then, he had been a vixen, but that side of him died the moment he had lost his mate.

There was a small knock on the door, barely audible because of the sound of the rain. It made Sunggyu confused at first since he wasn’t expecting any of his pack mates, especially not in an awful weather like that. There was an uneasy feeling in his stomach, because whoever came over to his hut must had a pretty good reason.

He sniffed into the air as he made his way to the door but the rain confused his sense too much that he couldn’t smell who was in front of his door. However, he figured it out quite quickly, because the moment he had opened the door for an inch, the other person stormed into the house without even glancing at him.

“God, I hate rainy weather so much” he groaned and let the small pelt fall from his head “Sorry for disturbing you”

Sunggyu shook his head slightly to show him that it was okay then he led the other to the dining era.

“Can I help you with something, Dongwoo?”

Sunggyu offered him a seat, but Dongwoo decided to examine the small bottles and jars on the shelves instead, just like he always did. It was not like there was anything special in them, most of them were random herbs that Dongwoo had given Sunggyu once, but the younger one liked to have a look at the small collection every time he dropped by. He let his fingers run through the bottles slowly then he stopped at one of the jars at the end of the top self. He took it off and Sunggyu watched silently as Dongwoo sniffed into the jar then he put it back to its place the next second.

“Lavenders still smell nice. You should put some around the hut instead of keeping them in this jar” Dongwoo explained and slowly turned to look at Sunggyu “And I see you are running out of lemon balm and hop”

Sunggyu crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the wall. He glanced at the half empty bottles then back at Dongwoo.

“Did you come to check my supply?”

There must had been something in his voice, probably disbelief, because it had made Dongwoo chuckle.

“Kind of” Dongwoo shrugged, still enjoying Sunggyu’s slight shock “I wanted to ask if you want to come to collect herbs with me”

If it wasn’t Dongwoo standing right in front of him, Sunggyu would say he was either dreaming or the other was an idiot. It could only be Dongwoo who would go out in a rainy weather where one could barely see what’s in front of their feet. It was dangerous and totally unnecessary, but it was something the other would do at any time. Sunggyu knew the risks and he was not crazy to leave his safe hut, but as the leader of the pack he couldn’t let Dongwoo leave on his own if he decided to go. But maybe he could convince him to stay.

“Before you try to talk me out of it, the rain will stop pretty soon”

 Sunggyu looked out of the window and tried to listen. Even if his senses were not that sharp in his human form, he could hear that the rain was calming down and it was obviously brighter outside than a few minutes ago. Dongwoo was right, at this rate, the rain will be gone in a few minutes and they would be able to go out. He wouldn’t have to stay in the hut the whole day and let the misery eat him up. He could finally go out and his wolf could get its long awaited comfort.

“Sunggyu” Dongwoo’s voice startled him and he almost bumped into him as he turned around. The abstracted look was long gone from his face and his voice was strangely serious. He started chewing on his bottom lip and Sunggyu could see something like worry appearing in his eyes “These herbs you are running out all have calmative effects. Is everything alright? Are _you_ alright?”

Sunggyu didn’t know what he should say. He hated when the others were worried about him, he hated when they asked him if he was alright. He was not and he will never be, but he needed to. He spent a great time on mourning and trying to accept that his mate would probably never return but he had a pack that he needed to lead and he couldn’t let himself get drown in his grief. Even if it hurt him, he had to put all his pain aside and try to live. He had to act like he was fine, like he still had the will to live because that was what the pack needed. And that was what his mate would want. He would hate to see Sunggyu living his life in depression.

It was something that came in Sunggyu’s mind every day. He wondered what his mate would think about him now. Would he really be proud of him like Myungsoo had said? Or would he be disappointed because Sunggyu had lost the brightness that had been inside? Would he still love him even if he was broken and their bond no longer existed? What would he do in Sunggyu’s position? Would he move on after some time? Would he want Sunggyu to move on? He had so many questions, so many doubts, so many regrets. Regrets that were too late to change now.

“The rain has stopped. Let’s go” Sunggyu whispered, eyes fixed on the window. He didn’t need to look at Dongwoo to see the uncertainty in his eyes. He hoped the younger would understand why he had ignored the question.

“Alright” Dongwoo agreed and gave Sunggyu’s shoulder a small squeeze “Wait for me outside. Five minutes at max”

Sunggyu didn’t really have to wait for him. He only left the hut a minute later than Dongwoo and the other was already there, standing in front of his door in his wolf form. He had a large shabby bag between his jaws and he ran over to Sunggyu to place it in his hands. Sunggyu fixed the straps then put the bag on Dongwoo’s back, making sure it wouldn’t fall down accidentally.

Collecting herbs with Dongwoo was an easy task. It was usually Sungjong who helped him but sometimes Dongwoo asked Sunggyu to accompany him instead of the youngest. It happened usually when Dongwoo thought Sunggyu needed someone to talk to or save him from loneliness. Sunggyu was thankful for that, because Dongwoo really had a great sense to feel when he needed someone. He didn’t ask questions, he didn’t force Sunggyu to talk and he never really voiced out the reason why he decided to be by Sunggyu’s side for a whole day. Even without words, he seemed to understand Sunggyu well and that was what Sunggyu needed.

They walked in silence side by side, Sunggyu enjoying that he could finally leave his hut and Dongwoo sniffing the ground continuously, searching for the herbs he had wanted to collect. It was Dongwoo who always did most of the work, he was the one who could recognize and tell all the plants apart. There were a few that Sunggyu recognized too, but most of them smelled the same to him or he couldn’t pair a herb to the smell. He was awful at this, but he was good at collecting everything that Dongwoo showed him. It was easier to collect everything in human form but it was easier to track the herbs in wolf form. Right now, Sunggyu couldn’t smell anything besides the fresh and clean air and Dongwoo.

Dongwoo stopped suddenly, lifting his head and sniffing into the air. Sunggyu didn’t ask anything, he knew perfectly that the other had found something. When Dongwoo turned left and jumped over a small bush, Sunggyu let out a frustrated sigh then climbed over the bush too. He hated when Dongwoo forgot about the limits of the human body, but he didn’t say anything. Dongwoo stopped not too far from him, wiggling his tail happily in front of an oak tree. Sunggyu spotted the small plants at the bottom of the tree and kneeled in the grass.  
“The yellow or the white ones?”

Dongwoo patted the ground in front of the yellow flowers and Sunggyu started to pick them without hesitation. He tore the whole plant out of the ground, flower, leaves, stalk, roots and everything. He didn’t know which part of the plant Dongwoo needed and he got scolded in the past for picking the wrong parts. Herbs were like Dongwoo’s weak spots and an angry Dongwoo was something that Sunggyu preferred to avoid.

They repeated this process a few times, until the bag on Dongwoo’s back was completely full. Dongwoo managed to find all the herbs that he had wanted to collect and Sunggyu picked as many as he could, like the good servant he currently was. He would never admit it loudly, but collecting everything was really tiring and he almost lost all if his stamina until they found the very last flower.

Sunggyu was eyeing the steep slope in front of them, unsure if he really wanted to go down or not. The herb that Dongwoo needed was at the very bottom of the slope and due to the rain, it was almost impossible to go down. He took one step ahead, placing his foot carefully on the ground. He could feel the small shift under him and he stepped back immediately. From the corner if his eyes he saw Dongwoo starting to go down slowly, planning to take the risk instead of Sunggyu. They could move steadily in their wolf forms but Sunggyu still found it too dangerous to go down. But Dongwoo was already halfway and Sunggyu didn’t want to stop him there.

“Be careful, it’s kind of slip-“ a sharp whine cut the air “-pery”

Just like Sunggyu had expected deep inside, one wrong step was enough to make Dongwoo fall and roll down to the bottom of the slope. Sunggyu didn’t run down to help him but he kneeled and leaned as down as he could so he could see if Dongwoo was alright. He seemed unhurt luckily, he didn’t have any visible injuries. However, he had a great amount of mud stuck in his fur, making him barely recognizable. Looking at him, the first thing that came into Sunggyu’s mind were the lake monsters that humans liked to scare their children with.

A small chuckle left Sunggyu’s lips at that thought, earning a grumpy look and a low growl from Dongwoo. It just made Sunggyu laugh even more and he pressed the back of his hand to his mouth to stop himself.

“Sorry, I can’t help it”

Dongwoo made a sound close to groaning then tore the flower off and started to climb back slowly, trying to not slide back. When he reached the top he shook himself, trying to get the mud out of his fur. He let out an annoyed whine when he couldn’t get the dirt off and crawled to Sunggyu, asking for help. Both of them knew that it was impossible to get the mud out of the fur but Sunggyu still tried to clean him. He took the bag off of the wolf’s back, leaving a clean stripe behind, then he flicked Dongwoo’s right ear, making the already dried mud break and fall to the ground. Dongwoo pulled away immediately with a slightly offended look, letting Sunggyu know that it was not what he had wanted when he had asked for help.

“Let’s go back, you need to bath before it dries completely on your fur” Sunggyu advised with a playful grin on his face, making Dongwoo send him a death glare “Okay, okay, I stopped”

The way back to the clearing seemed longer than usual, mainly because Sunggyu couldn’t hold his laughter back, thus Dongwoo tried to knock him over a few times. If Sunggyu didn’t know him, he would say Dongwoo was really mad at him but he knew the other was only annoyed because of his own clumsiness and hated how Sunggyu enjoyed himself. Sunggyu was not sorry thought, he knew perfectly that Dongwoo would do the same if he was in his state. He needed some fun in his gloomy life anyway.

When they reached the clearing, they couldn’t see the others first. They all seemed to be gone but then Sungjong appeared out of nowhere, jogging casually towards them.

“Finally you are back, I“ Sungjong started but stopped when he noticed Dongwoo’s awful state “Did you bath in the mud perhaps?”

The look Dongwoo gave the youngest was so precious that Sunggyu wished he could record it somehow. He put his hand on the top of the wolf’s head before he started to growl and ruffled the fur slightly to calm him.

“Kind of” Sunggyu replied, biting his lips to prevent himself from laughing. He patted Dongwoo’s head slightly and leaned down a bit to be closer to him “Go to the lake and clean yourself. I will put the bag in your hut”

Dongwoo gave him a nod and turned to the direction of the lake instantly. Sunggyu couldn’t blame him, he would be eager to get the dirt out of his fur too. He left Sungjong behind too, heading towards Dongwoo’s hut to clean the bag and the herbs that got muddy. Before he closed the door of the hut behind himself, he heard Sungjong’s voice once more.

“Hurry up both of you, Sungyeol wants us to have a family dinner”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hoya was leaning against a tree, watching silently as Woohyun was munching happily on the rabbit he caught not a long ago. He couldn’t believe the other was hungry and stupid enough to go out to hunt in that heavy rain, but he was. He hadn’t even thought about the danger, he had just announced out of blue that he would leave and he hadn’t understand why Hoya had refused to go with him. Even though he hated to leave Woohyun alone, especially when he did something crazy, he hadn’t lost his mind completely to risk his life unnecessary.

“I still can’t believe you” he mumbled and grabbed the little piece of meat that was about to fall out of Woohyun’s mouth “At least don’t eat like a retard”

Woohyun wiped his mouth with the back of his hand then held the half-eaten rabbit in front of Hoya “Still don’t want some?”

“I’m not hungry, especially not after seeing you eat” he pushed Woohyun’s hand away disgustedly, earning a somewhat offended look from Woohyun.

Hoya wanted to comment on that so badly, tell the other how he had looked like a five year old kindergartener but something made him froze and shut his mouth. He turned his head into the other direction and sniffed into the air. For a moment, he thought he was only hallucinating, but no. There was a gentle, sweet scent in the air and it grew stronger by each seconds. It was something that he had never smelled before but he felt like he had known it in his whole life. It was sweet like candy, like something that would make his mouth water. The scent called him, it lured him and he couldn’t sit still for too long. He needed to find the source of that pleasing scent and make it his own.

 “Is everything alright?”

There was a hand on Hoya’s back and he looked down to see Woohyun looking up at him in confusion. Hoya was confused too, he didn’t even notice when he had stood up and he didn’t notice Woohyun putting his hand in him. The scent dulled his senses but it didn’t seem to have any effect on Woohyun.

Hoya licked his lips nervously, aching to ask Woohyun if he felt the sweet scent or not. He didn’t do it in the end, he just dug his fingers into his own hair and let out a shaky sigh.

“Yeah. Go back destroying that poor rabbit of yours, I’m going for a walk”

Hoya saw that Woohyun’s confusion turned into a slight worry and he wanted to make Hoya stay but he ended up nodding without a word. With that, Hoya turned around and started to follow the scent without thinking.

He was far away from Woohyun when he had started to check his surroundings. He looked behind every tree and every bush, desperately searching for the source, but it was still too far from him. Each step he took made the scent get stronger and he started to feel is body responding to it. It was just small things at first, he walked faster than normally, sniffed the air continuously and his mouth became dry. Then he started to get desperate and the scent took the control over his mind too. There was a slight pain in his body like his wolf was trying to break out but couldn’t and the only thing in his mind was wanting to _own_ that scent.

A low growl left Hoya’s throat as he took a deep breath to get the sweetness into his lungs. He was getting closer, he knew it, but he was still not close enough. He wanted to hold that scent close to himself already. He didn’t care about where he should go or what he should do to get it, but he needed it. He felt like he needed it in his whole life.

His eyes started to glow in red as the scent became clearer than before. It was not like he couldn’t feel it perfectly before, no, it got clearer like something was blocking it from him before. He felt it clear and sharp like it was everywhere in the air around him. It just made his body want even more, his wolf starting to get restless inside him. He was not a naïve teen anymore, he knew that following something so blindly could be dangerous yet he couldn’t help but go after it without the slightest hesitation. His wolf wanted it and he trusted his wolf more than anything.

And his wolf felt like he was going home, like he was getting the comfort he had always needed.

Hoya didn’t stop until he could basically touch the scent in the air. He looked around and realized that behind the bushes that were in front of him, was the lake that he and Woohyun had found when they had decided to settle here. Whatever had that breathtaking scent was either in the lake or at the other side. He wished for the first because if it was at the other side of the lake then there was a possibility that he couldn’t get it without a fight.

He heard, no, he felt a movement from the lake and he kneeled behind one of the bushes to peek through it. He didn’t know what or who to expect and he wanted to examine the surroundings before he got into action. Even if the scent controlled him, he still had the last strings of his sanity left.

He didn’t see anything at first, but from the waving of the surface of the water he knew that someone was indeed in the water. The passing seconds felt like years to Hoya but when a small head peeked out of the water, he felt like the time had stopped around him.

There was another wolf in front of him, a wolf whose beauty couldn’t be compared to anyone’s. His silver eyes were glistening in the dusk as he blinked towards Hoya shyly. His greyish wet fur was covering half of his eyes and his ears were upright, twisting slightly at the quietest sounds. He was sniffing the air just like how Hoya did before and he knew, he felt that the other had noticed him too.

A wave of emotions hit Hoya: happiness, curiosity, shyness and _love_. He thought at first that these were his own emotions but realization hit him quickly when he finally locked eyes with the other wolf. He couldn’t feel them clearly, these were not raw emotions but he knew they were coming from the other. The sweet scent that almost disappeared beside the new feelings was there again even stronger than before and the wolf inside Hoya started to get restless. There was something that made that sweetness even more alluring, more tempting and that was the smell of submission. The smell of an omega.

Hoya was ready to move, he wanted to reveal himself in front of the other quickly so he could make him his and he saw the desire in the other’s eyes too.

“Hey”

The unfamiliar voice startled Hoya and he quickly hid himself behind the bush. He had to turn away in case his red eyes would give him away and he tried to stay as still as possible. The wolf inside him screamed to get to the omega and protect him, but he knew the newcomer, _the alpha_ , was not a threat to him. His tone and scent was friendly, or more like protective and Hoya couldn’t attack another alpha for worrying for an omega, even if he was not his mate. The omega didn’t feared him either, there was only a slight shock before his scent was filled with nervousness and embarrassment, probably because of almost getting caught with an unknown wolf.

“What are you doing here, Myungsoo?”

The voice he had just heard made his heart skip a beat. This beautiful, tinkling voice could belong to no one but the omega and Hoya felt like he could never get enough of this voice. He wanted to turn back and take a look at the other so bad but it was too risky. He ached to see the human form of the other too, to see the fineness that owned the voice.

“Just wanted to check up on you, I felt an unfamiliar smell nearby” the other alpha said in a strange, low voice that made Hoya uncomfortable. He needed to concentrate to not expose himself “You didn’t see or smell anyone? Why are you at the other end of the lake”

Hoya cursed soundlessly at the other’s sharpness. It was not a surprise since the other was an alpha too but he still hoped he could hide himself more easily. He was more than sure the other had picked up his scent long time ago and he knew perfectly that he was hiding nearby, he just didn’t want to start a fight. They were probably from the same pack and he just looked after the omega and protected their territory. Until Hoya didn’t cross the line or try to hurt the omega, he was free to go.

“No, I was completely alone” the omega whispered clearly enough to be heard by both alphas, then Hoya could hear the gentle movement of the water, letting him know that the omega was moving away from him “And I was swimming”

A small smirk appeared on Hoya’s face and he made a small note for himself to praise the omega for lying so easily the next time they meet. His voice didn’t even waver as he lied to the other alpha and not even his scent gave him away.

“Strange” the alpha muttered and Hoya swore he felt his eyes on the back of his head “Whatever, let’s go back if you are ready”

The omega only hummed in response and after a few seconds. Hoya heard the sound of his small steps on the ground. The alpha had walked meters in front of the other, his steps barely audible for Hoya anymore. But he heard clearly when the omega stopped and he didn’t know how, but he knew the other turned back in hope to see him once more. Hoya ached to take a look at the petite omega once more, to see him as a human too, but he still considered it too risky. He wasn’t aware of the abilities of the other alpha and he didn’t want to expose himself at the very last moment. He needed to be patient and wait for the next opportunity when he would see the beautiful wolf and maybe he would even talk to him to hear that tinkling voice once more.

Hoya stuck out his tongue and licked his lips slowly to taste the sweetness once again before it disappears. He felt the craving to go after him but he knew all he needed was patience. After all, the omega would return to him on his own will soon.

 _His_ omega would return soon.

 


End file.
